Choosing a Web Design Company

If your business doesn’t have a website, it might as well not exist. You need a good web design company, who understands your business. Our modern world is so reliant on technology and an online presence that very few people will purchase a product or service without researching it extensively online first.

In fact, 88 percent of consumers pre-research their purchases online before purchasing either in-store or online, according to the eCommerce Foundation’s 2017 United States Ecommerce Country Report. Still, it’s not enough to just have any basic website.

Consumers in just about every market base highly value a website that is aesthetically appealing, easy to navigate, and informative. Meanwhile, businesses want a web design company that they can build a professional relationship with, one that will incorporate branding, strategy, and creative solutions across all media. If you’re currently in the market for a web design agency that goes above and beyond, consider the following five things you should ask yourself.

1. What do I want to achieve and is it practical?

Never go into a decision like this without having a clear sense of exactly what you want, including how much you are willing to pay. Determine what your broader goals are, how each web design agency will help you accomplish these goals, and what kind of relationship you would like to develop with your web developer.

Are your goals to develop your brand online? Increase sales? Measure online engagement with your brand? Be specific about what you mean with these goals. For example, how much would you like to increase your sales, and what mediums do you want to focus on to measure online engagement with your brand?

2. Does the web design company’s own site fit with my goals?

You can determine whether a web design agency is right for you by looking at their own website as well as the websites they’re created for other clients. Does the company have an aesthetic that you would like to mimic and/or does their work with other companies suggest they are capable of doing the kind of work you would like for yours? If the web design company hasn’t published their work with other clients on their website, that would be very strange, and certainly a reason for concern. Are there enough examples of their work to be able to tell if they are a good fit for your own company culture, and brand aesthetic? Can they handle the challenge of capturing what you do, and expressing that to all of the visitors who might meet you for the first time on your website? But also beware, you may be enamored with something in their portfolio that is not the direction your own company or brand should go. Don’t ask for things you’ve seen, for your new website, but instead discuss the values and purpose for your new website with your potential website designers. Their task is to come up with the best possible marketing solution to meet your needs.

3. Is the cost of services worth it?

Never look at cost in a vacuum. If one web design agency charges more than another, it doesn’t automatically mean you are getting a better value with the cheaper company. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes. Consider exactly what the company would provide you. Are you just getting a website or a continued relationship that includes services like branding, SEO, and social media marketing? Take charge as a business owner and ask the agency about their ROI and compare it to your own ROIs from previous marketing campaign. Think in terms of long-term benefits to your company, as opposed to just creating the website and parting ways.

4. What is the web design company’s client retention rate?

Examining the work the company has done for other businesses does not always provide a full picture of the quality of the web developer’s work. Ask the web design company about their client retention rate, including any references they might have to help you feel more secure in your investment. The average company has a client retention rate around 60%, so anything less should be carefully considered in your overall decision.

Retention rates above 70% indicate exceptional client satisfaction, reflecting well on your prospects of forming a valuable partnership. Companies that have been in business for a short time may not have the data (or experience) to be able to provide you with their retention rate. A little digging and searching in Google should be able to give you a bit of peace of mind, on the longevity of the company you are researching. A search for the company name will also help you find reviews and ratings from previous people who have used their services. Not all reviews are real however, and should be read with that understanding. Still you can get a good sense of a firm’s reputation by spending a bit of time doing your due diligence.

5. Does the web design agency also offer ongoing digital marketing?

As part of determining the value of a digital marketing agency for their services, you want to be sure you have a good idea of what exactly they’re offering you. It takes just as much effort, if not more, to optimize, measure performance analytics, promote via social media sharing and advertising, and maintain your website as it does to build it. Smaller businesses that may not have an in-house marketing team will want to look for a web design company that has experience in digital marketing and provides ongoing maintenance to the website. Another important question to ask is whether you will have access to a web developer in case something goes wrong with your site or you have new content to add.

These questions will provide you with a good starting off point, but make sure to add your own questions and do your own research based on what you’re looking for. Rather than hiring several companies to manage website design, conduct digital marketing campaigns, measure the impact of campaigns, and so on, it might be ideal to just combine these services into one web design agency.

Hypno prides itself on providing quality services in branding, strategy, and creative solutions across all media, maintaining fruitful long-term relationships with clients from all different markets. Contact a web developer from Hypno to learn about what our experienced team can do for your business, and answer any questions you might have about web design, development costs and supporting digital marketing. As a Top Philadelphia Website Designer, Hypno can get your your next website design project started quickly, and deliver expert results.